Airbag manufacturer faces severe losses in wake of 36 million-car recall
In a move that has affected 11 of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world, the Japanese automotive parts company Takata announced a recall for defective airbags on Tuesday, May 19. In a slightly higher estimate than the figure that was initially announced on Tuesday, approximately 36 million cars are now expected to contain unsafe airbags that may deploy explosively, potentially injuring or killing car occupants. The recalled vehicles were produced between 2002 and 2008.
The decision to issue a recall was instigated by pressure from U.S. safety regulators. So far, faulty airbags have contributed to the deaths of six occupants, as well as having contributed to over 100 injuries globally.
The announcement regarding the recall was made Tuesday afternoon, after the heads of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reached an agreement with Takata.
A press release, published on the NHTSA website, explained that Takata had admitted that their airbags contain an inflator “made with a propellant that can degrade over time, and has led to ruptures that have been blamed for six deaths worldwide.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary, Anthony Foxx, explained that the DoT’s actions were “proactive” measures intended to prevent further harm.
“Today is a major step forward for public safety,” explained Secretary Foxx, in the same NHTSA press release. “The [DoT] is taking the proactive steps necessary to ensure that defective inflators are replaced with safe ones as quickly as possible, and that the highest risks are addressed first.”
Secretary Foxx insisted that the DoT would not stop their work “until every air bag is replaced.”
Transport Canada, however, has clarified that it has yet to receive any complaints regarding the faulty airbags.
“Auto manufacturers have also confirmed that no abnormal deployments of airbags supplied by Takata have occurred in Canada,” said a release published on the Transport Canada website.
In the same release, Transport Canada reassured vehicle owners that they “will continue to monitor the issue closely” and that they are “in constant communication with vehicle manufacturers and the U.S. [NHTSA] for updates.”
As a result of the recall, several class-action lawsuits have been proposed all over the world, with the latest in Canada being a suit targeting Chrysler Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of American manufacturer Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA).
Gary Coles, of Tecumseh, Ontario, is the lead plaintiff for the case. His decision to sue Chrysler is a result of the automotive manufacturer’s failure to issue a recall notice, in spite of Coles’ confirmation that his Chrysler vehicle contains a Takata airbag.
“To the date of the filing of this claim, [Coles] has not received an official recall notice from the Chrysler defendants,” asserts a statement sourced from the CBC News website.
Other lawsuits have targeted Japanese manufacturers Toyota and Honda, as well as Korean manufacturer Nissan, German manufacturer BMW, and American manufacturer Ford.
“Our clients and [other] vehicle owners deserve an answer as to why it took so long for Takata and these manufacturers to issue these recalls, and why these defendants exposed these vehicle owners to a risk to their wellbeing, their lives, and safety for so long,” said Alex Constantin, a lawyer whose firm is leading Coles’ Chrysler suit, in an interview with CBC News.
The Takata Corporation’s recall stands as the largest recall in automotive history, eclipsing the 2.6 million cars that were recalled for defective ignition switches by General Motors in 2014. As of the time of this writing, neither Takata nor any governmental agencies have found the cause of the faulty airbag deployment.
However, it has been suggested by the NHTSA that the source is a result of atmospheric moisture that causes changes in the chemical propellant that ignites when airbags deploy. “The degraded propellant ignites too quickly, producing excess pressure that causes the inflator to rupture and sends metal shards into the passenger cabin, that can lead to serious injury or death,” explained the same NHTSA press release.
Vehicle owners are advised to contact their vehicle manufacturers to ensure the safety of their selves, and their vehicles.